Lubricator for steam-engines



INVENTOR:

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NiTED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW L. HARRISON, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT.

LUBRICATOR FOR STEAM-ENGINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 225,124, dated March 2, 1880. Application filed August 20; 1879.

To all lwhom 'it may concern Be it known that LANDREW L. HARRISON, of the city of Bristol, in the county of Hart ford and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improveinent-in Lubricators for Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My improvements relate to apparatus for lubricating the cylinders and valves ot' steamengines wherein the lubricating material is forced out of a reservoir by pressure in regir lated quantities to effect an automatic supply. I make use of a chamber for containing oil fitted with a iiexible diaphragm, beneath which diaphragmthe pressure is applied to raise the same and force the oil out, the flow being regulated by a cock and the oil passing through a transparent chamber, which permits observation of the quantity passing. The diaphragm is balanced by` the steampressure, and the force to expel the oil is obtained by atmospheric pressure obtained by the use of a vacuumchamber, or by the use of awater-column. The oil-chamber is filled by the exhaust action beneath the diaphragm, obtained by connecting to the exhaust of the engine or by the vacuum-chamber before mentioned.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combination, whereby the operation is rendered uniform and reliable, which features will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section ofthe lubricator. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan View on line x w.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The oil and pressure chamber A is formed by the two concave disks a a, which are bolted together upon a langed ring, b. The flexible diaphragms c o are clamped by disks a, and are separated by the iange of ring b, so that there is a space between them. .A single diaphragm might be used; but I prefer two, as shown, with the space between them filled `with glycerine or other non-freezing liquid,

such material, while elastic, forming a solid partition between the diaphragms, which prevents unequal stretching and equalizes the pressure upon the diaphragins. The diaphragms are of india-rubber or other suitable material, and the space between them is to be filled through openings a in ring b, which openings will usually be closed by screw-plugs.

At the under side of chainberA is screwed atube, d. Through a packiiiguiua d', in tube d passes a rod, c, the inner end of which is rigidly connected to the center of diaphragms c by means of clampingwashers, with a thiinble intervening between thediaphragms; and to the outer end of rod ye is secured a loop, c', by which the rod can be moved by hand to draw the diaphragms to the bottom of chamber A.

On the lower end of tube d is screwed a short cylinder, j', having its lower end open, and upon rod e is a disk or head,g, which lits closely in j", and is provided with a cup-leather or metallic packing to render it airtight.

At the upper side of the chamber A is a projection, to which is attached the oil cup or receptacle h, and also the tube 'i'. for the discharge of oil from chamber A. Thevcup h and tube t' communicate with the chamber A by sepa-rate passages, that are iitted with cocks h and if, respectively, whereby they may be closed and communication from chainberA to cup h or tube t' cut oil".

Upon the upper end of the tube 'i is secured the chamber 7c, the sides of which are made of glass or other transparent material. In the bottom of his a small opening communicating with tubec, and in the top `oi' 7c is an opening to a tube, 7c', and coupling to which is to be coiiuected the pipe that leads to the parts to be lubricated. The chamber 7c is to be iilled with glycerine.

To the under side of chamber A the pipes l m are connected, so as to have communication separately to the space beneath the diaphragms c, and are fitted with cocks a o. The pipe l is to be connected to the exhaust of the engine when the lubricator is used in connection with condensing-engines, and the pipe m is to be connected to the steam-pipe from the boiler.

I have shown the pipes lm connected by elbows with vertical .pipes l in', that pass' through -the bracket p, to which the Banged ring b of chainberA is rigidly connected. The

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pipes l m are tted with union-couplings for connection to the exhaust and steam pipes. This connection permits attachment of the lubricator to the engine or to a wall, as desired, by screws passed through the bracket h, and the parts will be firmly sustained by the bracket. There is also a second exhaust-pipe, r, that opens into tube d and cylinderf, and is fitted with a pipe, i", for connection with the exhaust of the engine. In pipe 1' is a two-way cock, s, for closing connection between the cylinder f and pipe 1" and opening connection between cylinder f and the outer air through pipe 1, or vice versa.

To charge the reservoir A with oil, the oil is rst poured in the cup h, the cock h opened to allow the oil to enterA, and the cock n also opened, so that the space beneath diaphragm may be exhausted by pipe l, the diaphragm c drawn down thereby, and the oil drawn into A. The two-way cock s will at the same time be open to cut off the exhaust-pipe o" and open the cylinderf to the outer air. The reservoir A being thus lled, the cocks h n are to be closed and s turned to connect the exhaustpipe T with the cylinder f, and the cock o opened to admit steam by pipe m beneath the diaphragms. The. diaphragms are balanced by the steam-pressure, and the cylinder being exhausted above the head g, the atmospheric pressure beneath g forces the rode and diaphragms c upwartl,"and the oil is forced Ithrough pipez'into the glycerine-chamber 7; in

drops at more o`r less frequent intervals, or in a continuous stream, the flow being regulated by cock i. The oil passes up through the glycerine to tube 7c, from whence it flows to the cylinder.

With high-pressure engines, instead of using the exhaust-cylinder fand atmospheric pressure to force the oil out, I make use of a column of water in the pipe m, which acts, by gravity, to overcome the steam balance on the .diaphragm c and force out the oil.

In the pipe z is seated a check-valve, t, which closes when the reservoir A is bein g tilled and prevents back flow by suction in case cock i is open. rlhe reservoir may also be lled by drawing down rod e by hand.

The vessel k being ot' glass and iilled with a transparent material, the amount ot' oil passing may be seen and the iiow regulated as desired. Glycerine in the said vessel is better than water, for the reasons that it will not freeze or become discolored by the oil, and may be used a long time without requiring renewal, while water loses its transparency by discoloration, and must be frequently renewed.

I am aware that it is not new, broadly, to feed oil to ajournal by means of hydrostatic pressure; but

What I claim as new is n l. In'lubricators for steam-engines, the oilreservoir A, divided by a single vor double iexible diaphragm, e, having an outlet at itsnpper side to the parts to be lubricated, and tted at its under side with connections for a steam or water column pipe, substantially as described land shown, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In lubricators for steam-engines, the combination, with oil-reservoir and pressure-chamber A and its diaphragm c, of the rod e, connected to diaphragm c, and provided at its outer end with the hand-loop e', lsubstantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In lubricators for steam-engines, the combination, with the oilreservoir A, having a iiexible diaphragm, `0, and eoi'n'lecting beneath the diaphragm with the engine-exhaust, of the cup h,l cock h', and inletpassage, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In lubricators for steam-engines, the combination, with the oil and pressure chamber A, balanced diaphragm c, and rod e, of the exhaust chamber or cylinder f, head g, and exhaust-pipe i, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In lubricators for steam-engines wherein the oil passes through a transparent vessel containing a liquid, the use of glycerine in such transparent vessel, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. In a lubricator for steam engines, the combination, with an oil -reservoir having a diaphragm balanced by steam-pressure, of a vacuum-chamber, whereby atmospheric press ure is obtained upon the diaphragm to feed the oil to the cylinder or other parts to be lubricated, substantially as described and shown.

7. In lubricators, the combination, with the oil and pressure chamber A, of the diaphragm 0 c, separated by an intervening space that is lled with glycerine or similar material, as and for the purposes specilied.

8. In lubricators, the oil and pressure chamber A, formed of two concave disks, a, attached to the flanged ring b, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

' 9. Thecombinatiomwith the oil-reservoir A and its attached parts, ofthe bracket p, connected to the ring b of the reservoir A, and sustaining the steam and exhaust pipes, as shown and described. I

l0. As a means for connecting the cylinder j' to the oil-reservoir A, the tube d, screwed to A, formed with a screw lfor cylinder j", and surrounding the packing-nut of the piston-rod, as described and shown.

ANDREW LANGDON HARRISON. Witnesses:

JOHN HENRY TILLEY, CHARLES N. TILLEY.

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